Pigs on the Farm

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2-These books for early readers have one or two sentences per page, opposite a supporting full-color photograph. Sentences state one basic fact about the animal. For example, "Most chickens live indoors on large farms." The next page offers another fact. "Some chickens live in coops on small farms." The accompanying photos show many chickens inside a large poultry shed and a few hens inside a small coop, respectively. Repetition of specific words and phrases is designed to help beginning readers. While there's not a wealth of information here (each book contains about a dozen facts), the titles are accurate and easy to understand. The table of contents is simplified and limited as a useful tool. The glossary definitions are more difficult than the basic texts and will require adult assistance. The additional reading list and Internet sites are appropriate for young readers. The strength of these books is their accurate representation in words and pictures. Beginning readers will enjoy these titles independently, and preschoolers will also appreciate the basic facts and bright photos.- Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. About the Author Mari Schuh has written more than 130 nonfiction books for children, covering topics from tomatoes to tornadoes. She has written numerous articles for daily newspapers and has presented at the West Virginia Book Festival. Mari lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Joe, and their house rabbit, Kindle.